Chris Christie

Governor of New Jersey, 50

By Ginjer Doherty April 18, 2013

Marco Grob for TIME

Governor Christie came to the firehouse near my house after the big storm. Me and my mom were waiting to hear him talk. My house was all messed up, and people told us we couldn’t stay there anymore. The governor told me not to worry — that my parents would take care of everything — and he looked very serious and sad, and he cried. He said he would be back to help our town.

I see him on TV trying to fight for New Jersey and help out the people in need. He called me a few days after the storm and asked if we had found a place to live yet and if we were doing O.K. When I went to the statehouse in January to hear his speech, I met two of his kids, and I even got to meet the heroes from New Jersey who saved people. The governor’s friends high-fived me and said nobody makes the governor cry. They said I was the best.

Things are going O.K. for my family. We want to go back home, but rebuilding is going to take a long time. But we have a place to live for now. I even rescued a cat that was homeless after Sandy — I wanted him to be safe and loved like I feel.

Doherty is a fourth-grader at Port Monmouth Elementary School in New Jersey